Rebel soldiers in Niger attacked the airport and presidential palace in the capital Niamey early Saturday. Firing and explosions continued for hours and government TV and radio transmissions stopped for some time. Niger's defense ministry said the army was gradually recapturing positions captured in the night attack, but security sources said rebel troops were still at the airport by afternoon and the overall situation was unclear as of Saturday night.
Will there be a coup again?
The attack was another threat to the regime of Abdourahmane Tiani, who took power in a coup in 2023. Tianyi promised to improve security in the Sahel country (which is a major producer of uranium), but jihadist attacks continued. State television, after resuming broadcasts, showed a message saying rebel troops from a base in Niamey had opened fire on sensitive sites in the city. It said that security forces took swift action and it was brought under control.
Earlier this year, groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State carried out attacks on civilian airports and military airbases. Some security experts initially suspected that extremists were behind Saturday's attack.
A Reuters witness said there was gunfire at the airport and a military air base and loud explosions before dawn. Russian and Italian armies are deployed at these places. By 0900 GMT, loyalist troops had taken control of the presidential palace, but fighting was still ongoing in the area around the airport, two security sources and a diplomat said. The Defense Ministry statement mentioned an attempt by rebel soldiers to detain some of their comrades at a military airbase, but did not provide any details. Two sources said loyalist troops had been sent to retake the airport through negotiations or force.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), made up of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, backed Niger's military and said in a statement Saturday night that the rebel attempt had been foiled. It is not clear whether Mali and Burkina Faso provided any concrete military assistance to Niger on Saturday.
The West African country Niger is rich in uranium, oil and gold resources. The country has been ruled by military authorities since a military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Like its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, it has failed to turn the tide in the fight against Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, despite military junta promises to improve security.
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